Comet Mackholtz 1 was discovered on May 12, 1986 by American amateur astronomer Donald Mackholtz at its peak
Usually the tails of comets consist mainlyfrom gas that seeps through frozen blocks of ice and gas, heated by solar radiation. In 2008, analysis of material ejected by 150 comets found that 96P/Machholz 1 contained less than 1.5% of expected levels of the chemical cyanogen and was also low in carbon. Astronomers have come to the conclusion that this strange object came from another star system. Now approaching the Sun will help scientists learn more about this unusual object.
“96P is a very atypical comet, it has"Unusual composition and 'behavior,'" Carl Battams, an astrophysicist at the Washington Research Laboratory, told spaceweather.com. "I hope we can learn more about it."
Width of most comets that approachwith the Sun, is 10 meters and, therefore, burns when approaching the star. But Machholz's gigantic size (more than two-thirds the height of Mount Everest) appears to protect it from complete evaporation. The Ice Alien will make its closest approach to the Sun on Tuesday, January 31st. The comet will fly past the star at a close distance—three times less than the orbit of Mercury.
The comet may have ended up in today's orbitafter she was thrown out of her parent solar system by the gravity of a giant planet. Then, after wandering through space, an accidental encounter with Jupiter changed its trajectory and it fell into the “trap” of the Sun. According to other theories, Machholz 1 is not “alien”, but was formed in little-studied regions of the Solar System.
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